This invention relates generally to the polymerization of maleic anhydride and vinyl acetate and more particularly concerns the problem of the product precipitating from solution causing severe plating and causing difficulty in agitating the mixture.
During copolymerization of maleic anhydride and vinyl acetate in solvents such as toluene or benzene, the copolymer plates out on the reactor surfaces such as the stirring blade or the walls of the reactor. The copolymer may also form balls of product which clog up the bottom of the reaction vessel. While conducting such polymerizations without stabilizers of the present invention, stirring rods have broken and vessels have been cracked due to the plated polymer and polymer balls. Accordingly, an object of the invention is to prevent severe plating or polymer balls from forming and hindering the reaction.